(Riverton, Wyo.) – A 78-year-old resident of the Homestead Assisted Living Center in Riverton fell prey to a telephone scam and lost $350 in the process.

According to a Riverton Police Department report, the woman received a telephone call telling her she had won a new Mercedes-Benz automobile and $2.5 million dollars, and the caller needed $350 to process the transaction. The woman sent the money to an address in California via Western Union.

“One of our officers met with the victim, and she said she knew better, but wanted to take a chance that the caller was truthful,” Captain Eric Murphy said Wednesday. “This is a scam that unscrupulous people target senior citizens with. When receiving such a call, they should hang up and not send any money. It’s always a scam.”